Since the end of March, I’ve started a new job. Everything about it is going fine — except for one small detail: the distance. My company is pretty far away, and of course, traffic jams love me.
Some days, if I’m lucky, the drive takes only 30 minutes. But on other days, it can stretch to an hour… or even one and a half. And honestly? It drives me crazy. Sitting behind the wheel, watching the minutes tick away, I couldn’t stop feeling like I was wasting so much time.
So in April, I made a decision: instead of being annoyed, I was going to use that time. If I can’t avoid traffic, I might as well make it productive. And little by little, it started working. Here’s my list of tricks:
1. Audiobooks
I signed up for Audible, and honestly, it changed the way I see my commute. Now my car is basically a moving library. My favorite so far has been Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library — a beautiful story that reminded me how much I loved reading when I was a teenager. These days, as a mom of a toddler, I don’t really have much time to sit down with a book, so discovering stories through audiobooks feels like getting a little piece of that joy back.
2. Podcasts
I’ve always loved podcasts, and car rides are the perfect excuse to dive in. When I was in Ireland, I did a road trip with Criminal (hosted by Phoebe Judge) and 99% Invisible as my companions. Honestly, they made the kilometers fly by. Other times, I’ve gone for The Minimalists or The Diary of a CEO, depending on my mood — sometimes I want something inspiring and meaningful, and other times I just want something light and funny. Either way, podcasts have become one of my favorite tricks to make traffic jams bearable.
3. Call & Connect
On the way back, when my brain is a bit tired, I switch gears and use that time to call my family or leave long voice messages for friends. Honestly, with Messenger, I feel like I’m producing my own podcast series dedicated just to them. That’s how we communicate — we leave each other these mini-episodes, sometimes 10 or 15 minutes long. And I love it when I get one back, because who doesn’t enjoy listening to a friend’s “voice diary” straight from their day?
4. Brainstorming & Voice Notes
Morning is when I’m the most productive, so I use my car time to brainstorm. I record voice notes with ideas for my blog, my projects, or even little reminders for later. And now on iOS, it’s super easy to get those recordings transcribed automatically — which is a lifesaver. It means my brainstorms instantly turn into written notes, or even to-do lists, without me having to type a single word. Perfect for when inspiration hits mid-drive.
5. Mindfulness on Wheels (…or at least trying)
When I was looking for ideas of what people do in the car, I found a lot of advice about meditation and practicing gratitude. Honestly? I’m clearly not there yet. I’m already frustrated that commuting takes so much time, so trying to say “I’m grateful for this traffic jam” just feels… wrong. Maybe one day I’ll get to that level of zen, but for now, I’ll stick to breathing a little deeper at red lights and leaving meditation apps to braver souls.
Final Thoughts
Of course, I’d still prefer a short commute. But now, even when it stretches to an hour or more, I don’t feel like it’s wasted. My car time has become audiobook time, podcast time, connection time, brainstorm time, or just a pause to breathe.
And who knows — maybe one day I’ll become that enlightened person who thanks traffic jams for giving me extra time to practice gratitude. Until then, I’ll happily stick with my audiobooks, podcasts, and voice-note brainstorms.
